If I try to make a tally of all the shows I've watched on the many streaming platforms I've tried in the last decade or so, it becomes sprawlingly large very quickly. Like so many people, there are a whole heap of shows that don't really stick in my mind, whether because they're just a bit mediocre or because they didn't really hold my whole attention.
Still, if I were to attempt to narrow things down to just a single streaming series that I've enjoyed more than any other (and not a series that came to streaming, one that originated there), then there's a good chance I'd go for Slow Horses. The Apple TV+ spy drama has it all, and the recently-released trailer for its fifth season confirms that it's going to be appointment viewing once again.
The show's been insanely consistent since its debut, and Apple TV+ has also done an admirable job of minimising the gaps between its seasons (something that Netflix could really learn from). In fact, Season 4 only came out at the beginning of last September, meaning this new run of episodes is only just over a year later.
It looks like Roddy Ho (Christopher Chung) will be stepping into the limelight even further this time around, as his repulsive air doesn't seem to have stopped him from finally getting a girlfriend. Suspicious of that twist, it would seem that Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman in an already iconic role) smells a rat, and possibly an undercover operative manipulating his IT specialist.
It's a setup that looks like it'll result in some serious security breaches, and Slough House being locked down along with all of its members – for as long as a team of dogs can keep them secure for, of course. River Cartwright (Jack Lowden) will be at the centre of it all, as usual, with the same question as always floating around: just what has he done to continue being lumped in with the other slow horses?
The average quality level that Slow Horses has maintained over the last few years has been stellar, and I can't wait to chew through another set of episodes. The only trouble will be the wait between each weekly dose, frankly.
